Contrary to many in his indigenous community, Uncle Richard Davis believes Australia Day should remain being celebrated on January 26.
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Uncle Richard shared his views during his Welcome to Country address at Wollongong’s Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony on Friday.
He told the crowd at Wollongong Town Hall that reflecting on and promoting Aboriginal culture should be of paramount importance on Australia Day.
“I think if we change the date it is just going to diversify us a lot more and that’s not a good thing,” Uncle Richard told the Mercury afterwards.
We are about trying to achieve reconciliation. By changing the date I personally feel we will be going backwards.
- Uncle Richard Davis
“We are about trying to achieve reconciliation. By changing the date I personally feel we will be going backwards.
“Yes it is a day that the European first come to this country but I think we are a multicultural society now, so we make sure we [celebrate] do it together.”
Uncle Richard worried that changing the date could create more disharmony between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
“What day are Aboriginal people going to celebrate and are non-Aboriginal people going to participate in that celebration?” he asked.
“I don’t know, they may do but personally I feel leave it on the same day and let’s talk about Aboriginal culture more, that’s what needs to happen.”
The city’s latest AM recipient, Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery recognised there was much debate and issue around Australia Day and told those at the citizenship ceremony that he was loyal to honouring our Aboriginal heritage.
The Lord Mayor interrupted his speech and made a “symbolic gesture” and bowed his head in front of the Aboriginal flag.
“It is one of the greatest possessions that this nation has. It goes back tens of thousands of years….we are up to 68,000 years of continuous occupation,” Cr Bradbery said.
Uncle Richard respected the opinions of the many wanting to change the date but felt some hadn’t thought about the issue properly.
“For me, to leave it on the same day, it highlights that Aboriginal people are still here, we’ve survived and as I say to people, get used to it, we are not going anywhere,” he said.
“I think the government and all communities on this day need to talk more about Aboriginal culture, both good and bad history.
“That includes when Europeans first came here and talk about the atrocities.
“We know that it is not a nice thing but I think if we talk about it and Australia accepts that these are the things that happened, I think we can move forward.”
